Corning named "Most Fun Small Town in America" by Rand McNally

Corning was named Tuesday as the “Most Fun Small Town in America” by Rand McNally, and it will mean tremendous exposure and free publicity, local tourism officials say.

Derrick Ekek@the-leader.com

Corning was named Tuesday as the "Most Fun Small Town in America" by Rand McNally, and it will mean tremendous exposure and free publicity, local tourism officials say.

Corning was chosen over four other finalists in Rand McNally's Best of the Road contest, according to Peggy Coleman, president of the Steuben County Conference and Visitors Bureau, the Corning-based tourism agency that compiled the city's submission, which included a three-minute video and an essay.

Corning will get some perks for earning the designation, Coleman said. The city will have a feature section in the next edition of the annual Rand McNally Road Atlas, due out in the spring, as well as at maps.randmcnally.com.

The city will also be featured - free for one year - on Rand McNally's Best Town Travels, a digital travel guide that has an iPhone app. Corning will also be featured on bestoftheroad.com and on Rand McNally's RV GPS and Good Sam Trip Planner. Good Sam is a travel club for RV owners.

Aside from the bragging rights that come with the "Most Fun" designation, it adds up to tens of thousands of dollars worth of publicity to boost tourism, said Coleman, who is most excited about the editorial feature in the next Rand McNally Road Atlas.

"So many travelers use that as a resource, and to have Corning's information featured prominently when you open the atlas is an invaluable advantage. It's the kind of publicity that a small town would never be able to afford otherwise."The submission included a three-minute video, produced by Rochelle Media Works, a Corning business.

The video tried to show that Corning "isn't just a fun place to visit, but that it's a fun place to live as well," Coleman said, and it featured clips from interviews with local residents and business owners, as well as tourists at the Corning Museum of Glass and downtown events.

Last year, Hammondsport was named the "Coolest Small Town in America" in a Budget Travel contest.